Published on: 19 October 2017

This week we have had Daniel from Educated by Nature working with our PP-2 classes, with the support of a Parents’ Association Grant. The boys have really enjoyed the variety of activities such as tying knots, building cubbies, bows, lassos and pyramids, making items with tools and building a fire, with a flint, to cook a sausage sizzle. These activities positively support the academic program and many STEAM skills. They also encourage skills important to us like positive risk taking, confidence and co-operation.

Educated by Nature has also been selected to provide a co-curricular club for the past two terms. This term a second club has been put on from this afternoon to meet the demand. The juxtaposition of these experiences and those like Kooringal, with technology has been an interesting journey over the past few years.

Five years ago, when I took tour a common question would be about the access to technology. Interactive whiteboards, desktop computers, laptop computers and iPads have all been readily available to our boys. These tools have been used to enhance the learning at an appropriate age and stage.

Now, with technology being ubiquitous in our lives and we, contemporary parents, trying to balance screen time the lives of our children, experiences in the outdoors are clearly being demanded by our families and especially our boys and hands on experiences. Research has also come to support the access to the nature and hands on activities.

With our Year 6 boys presently in their Kooringal rotations, our Year 5 boys about to begin their Sailing experience, Mrs Miller’s new tinkering club and frequent visits to the river by many classes we acknowledge and actively plan to maximise the boys’ connection to nature as we not only educate the whole boy, but know these experience have positive effects on academic outcomes.

Richard Wright
Head of the LW Parry Preparatory School